Becoming a Mom with Beauty & Style

June 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I just had a baby girl. Her name is Alabama Lee. I’m currently on maternity leave from the Calabasas store where I work as a skincare specialist. With Mother’s Day this month, I wanted to share with you my recent beauty experiences before, during and after my pregnancy. For any new and expecting moms out there, I hope you can use some of my advice to take better care of your changing body, hair and skin while looking after the health of your baby too.

Alabama Lee weighed 7lbs 6½ oz at birth and we are both doing great. I’ve already started
using the California Baby products and they are wonderful. I love the fact that there are products out there that are paraben free, delicate enough for newborns, and not too expensive. I also love the fact that Cal Baby is local and green. That makes me very happy.

While I was pregnant, I used the Mama Mio line. I found that the Tummy Rub was very moisturizing and it helped to prevent stretch marks. I used the oil at night because it was heavier and I found I could use it all over. It felt great. I also used the Boob Tube which was super moisturizing and the shea butter in it made it very soothing. Anybody who was ever pregnant knows that “soothing” is key!

For my skincare, I normally use Darphin but because of all the essential oils I knew I had
to use something else. I switched to Dermalogica which was easy to use and I got great results. I have bleached hair and during my pregnancy I used the dry/delicate shampoo by JF Lazartigue, again paraben free! I also used the Kusco Murphy dry leave-in spray which is great for all hair types but especially for fine hair like mine because it doesn’t weigh it down.

Now that the baby is here, I can start to use my old products again. I started using the Tummy Toner from Mama Mio. It has a tightening effect which is nice and I am using it also on the back of my legs twice a day. Even mentally, I feel like I am doing something good for myself and I will probably continue to use it because it makes me feel great. For my hair, I now use the Lanza Manuka shampoo because it gives my hair strength and elasticity. I am using Darphin again and I love it!

For all new mothers out there…. carry a concealer stick (I like Hourglass) in your purse or diaper bag wherever you go. It will help with those dark circles that come with sleep deprivation. Also, carry shea butter with you to stay moisturized, it always make you feel good.

Alabama is now two weeks old. I have to say, things are still a blur, it’s like one long day…. But it’s a great feeling to be a mom! And by the way, I appreciate my mom so much more now!!!!

By: Jennifer Hale

Filed Under: Beauty Products We Love, Curator Corner Tagged With: , , ,

Perfect At Home Facial

January 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment
  1. Soak a washcloth in warm water and place it over your cleansed face for 1–1½ minutes. The washcloth will cool down fast, so repeat three times until your skin is soft.
  2. Use a mild scrub like Caudalie’s Gentle Buffing Cream to slough off your dead skin. Don’t use grainy exfoliants – it will irritate your skin. Use a circular rubbing motion for a minute, and then rinse it off.
  3. Put on a mask like Caudalie’s Moisturizing Cream Mask. Make sure it includes antioxidants like Vitamin E. Leave on for 4-5 minutes before wiping off.
  4. Treat with a serum like Caudalie’s Energizing Concentrate. Choose one that is full of essential oils, vitamins and nutrients for your skin.
  5. Work a moisturizer (try Caudalie’s Pulpe Vitaminée Energizing Cream) into your face and neck to hydrate. Try cooling it down in the fridge beforehand – it makes it more refreshing!
Filed Under: BC@HOME, Beauty Products We Love, Curator Corner Tagged With: , ,

Meg’s Perfect Skincare Routine

January 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

img 0522crop 150x150 Megs Perfect Skincare Routine

Meg, our Calabasas store’s employee of the year and resident beauty expert, tells us about her personal skincare routine:

My nighttime skin care routine is the same as my morning routine. My approach: I like to use as few products as possible but ones that produce big results. I don’t care how much they cost as long as I can see evidence that they really work.

I’d spent a fortune on department store products, drug store products, and products found on T.V. etc. until I discovered what really worked when I came to work for Beauty Collection and received in-depth skin care education and exposure to advanced skin care products.

I consider this routine to be the “holy grail” of skin care. I get complimented on my skin every day and, after a few weeks of following the below steps, so will you. This routine will work well for most women.

This routine is for both AM and PM.

  1. CLEANSE EMK Cleanser cleanses your skin and makes it look younger with each use. No joke!
  2. TREAT Natura Bisse Inhibit-Dermafill & Inhibit-Tensolift are terrific. Dermafill simulates Botox while Tensolift
    fills,lifts, tightens and brightens.
  3. MOISTURIZE Carita Perfect Cream does it all and works progressively so you never have to change out of it and it works well under make-up.
  4. EYES Natura Bisse Diamond Eye is my favorite. Many people forget this step – don’t let that be you. Eyes show aging first. Don’t go without eye cream

That’s it. Four Steps, Fantastic Results!
-Meg

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New from Dermalogica

November 1, 2008 By Leave a Comment

derm chroma white New from Dermalogica

Dermalogica is the skin care system researched and developed by The International Dermal Institute. Known worldwide as the “professionals’ choice,” Dermalogica is founded on the belief that good skin care is not about pampering or luxury…any more than brushing your teeth or washing your hair is!

Call them no-nonsense, but they believe that consumers want results, not frilly packaging or overblown hype. And they’ve found that consumers and leading skin care professionals alike in over 40 countries agree!

We wanted to introduce our customers to the new Dermalogica ChromaWhite TRx products. Dermalogica has developed a complete, multi-step system that can be used to control skin discoloration and produce visible brightening results.

When used morning and night, ChromaWhite TRx delivers synergistic, around-the-clock treatment and prevention of hyperpigmentation.

The steps in the ChromaWhite process are:

  • Prepare: cleanse and exfoliate to lift dulling skin cells, which can interfere with penetration of treatment products and contribute to uneven skin tone. Products developed for this step are: Tri-Active Cleanse, Powerfoliant
  • Prevent: targeted treatments that help to inhibit the formation of pigmentation on a cellular level. Products developed for this step are: C12 Concentrate, Extreme C
  • Protect: nourish, moisturize and shield skin from environmental assaults that trigger discoloration. Products developed for this step are: Pure Light spf30, Pure Night

Dermalogica is a giant among the skincare companies, and relatively affordable to boot. Visit any of our stores and talk to our store staff to find out more about the ChromeWhite products and process.

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Enhance Your Beauty with Honey

October 1, 2008 By 2 Comments

honey Enhance Your Beauty with Honey

Honey has become a staple ingredient in some of today’s most sought-after beauty products — and for good reason. Besides its deliciously sweet scent, this natural moisturizer is hailed for its wide variety of therapeutic properties, such as the ability to keep skin hydrated and moist, as well as the power to fight against the signs of aging. Plus, honey is an anti-irritant, so it is safe to use on even the most sensitive skin.

Benefits of Honey
Derived from the hives of honeybees, honey is a natural humectant, meaning it attracts and retains moisture. Honey contains essential vitamins such as B5 and panothenic acid. It’s also full of minerals like zinc and magnesium, which increase the skin’s moisture retention. And it improves cell production and scalp circulation. Honey also contains loads of enzymes and amino acids, making it a powerful antibacterial ingredient that is excellent for treating acne, as well as reducing redness and inflammation. Rich in antioxidants, honey also helps regenerate damaged tissue, deflect free radicals and improve skin tone and elasticity.

History of honey for cosmetic purposes
Using honey in beauty rituals dates back to ancient Egypt, when Cleopatra would bathe in a mixture of honey and milk to keep her skin feeling soft and looking young. Roman emperor Nero’s wife, Poppea, was also a devotee of honey and milk, although she preferred to mix the ingredients together into a paste for a facial mask. Renowned Greek physician Hippocrates used honey to cure skin infections, infected wounds and ulcers on the lips, while Queen Anne of England would blend honey and oil together to form a hair serum that helped keep her locks thick, shiny and lustrous.

Can honey help prevent sun damage?
We all know that it’s crucial to use sunscreen on a daily basis, but many chemical and physical barrier suscreens contain ingredients that can cause skin irritation and reactions. Since honey is suitable for sensitive skin and is a natural moisturizer, it is currently being considered as a substitute ingredient for some of the harsh chemicals found in most sun blocks. Thanks to its natural antioxidant properties, honey also helps the skin to protect itself from the sun’s damaging UV rays and also aids in skin cell rejuvenation.

Filed Under: Beauty Trends Tagged With: ,
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